The Wonderful, Horrible Life of Leni Riefenstahl (1993)

Why so much hype?

Absolutely the worst movie.

This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.

A great movie, one of the best of this year. There was a bit of confusion at one point in the plot, but nothing serious.

The horrible, manipulative English DVD title and packaging of Ray Müller's "Die Macht der Bilder" should not prevent you from watching this portrait of a fascinating personality, beautiful woman and polemic figure. Beyond all ideological or emotional reactions to Leni Riefenstahl's films, this works proves beyond doubt that she was a masterful filmmaker. The careful conception and framing of the persons, objects and events she filmed, the beauty of the resulting images, the inventiveness of her "mise-en-caméra", her passion and vision, make Riefenstahl a major figure of film history and one of the greatest contributors to the evolution of film expression. The complete 200 minute version of Müller's documentary includes four sequences that were cut from the international edition. Two of them are in the second part, and they are chronologically disrupting, for they were inserted before showing her photographic work with the Nubas in Africa, and the underwater shootings during the final part of her life. One sequence in particular (a most embarrassing and decadent montage in Las Vegas, visiting her magician friends Siegfried & Roy) damages the documentary, for it shows --for no dramatic reason-- Riefenstahl's least appealing and most frivolous side, right after the tragic account of the trials she went through after the war ended. On the other hand, the extensive footage filmed in Tokyo, where the exhibit "Leni Riefenstahl - Life" opened in 1991, though out of place, is welcome for it shows that her work was reinstated and recognized in some places during her lifetime. The exhibit was one of the first comprehensive displays of her photographic work, mainly consisting of photos of or by her, of enlarged frames of films she played in as an actress and of films she made herself. There is also a section of Riefenstahl posing for photographs. For a complete portrait of Riefenstahl these sequences add another angle, and although Müller's work loses some cohesiveness, the negative effect of these sections is not powerful enough as to erase the impact one experiences before and after, in this approximation to Leni Riefenstahl's impressive, tragic and rich life.

The Wonderful Horrible World Of Leni Riefenstahl (1993) documentary was filmed with actress, dancer, movie director, photographer Leni Riefenstahl's permission, participation, and help (she supplied many examples of her movies, still photos, and other important memorabilia to the producer of the movie, Ron Muller).She was 90 years old when the movie was made in 1993, and was then in amazingly good health both physically and mentally. She dressed herself in attractive, stylish clothes and had attractively colored (ash blonde) and styled hair at a level of handsomeness never seen on most 90 year old persons of either gender. In her youth (the 1920's) she was a stage and movie actress and dancer famous for her attractive, shapely, sensuous legs.We see those same legs displayed bare, still shapely and attractive, in a scene toward the end of this documentary where she sits on a bed with her boyfriend "Horst" (40 years younger than she, and by then her "companion" and protégé of 18 years at least), watching beautiful underwater video camera-work they both did...a scene where Leni actually caresses the huge back of an unresisting Giant Manta Sting Ray with a body at least four feet in diameter, and a deadly "sting" tail which could easily kill any diver or other person unlucky enough to touch the tail.Leni Riefenstahl (1903 - 2004) died at age 101 following an incredible life as a performing and photographic artist which continued literally until the year she died. She never "retired," quit, or ceased her artistic activity or the promotion and publicity of that activity.The Wonderful Horrible World Of Leni Riefenstahl (1993) documentary by Ron Muller was made with Leni's full cooperation and participation (and possibly co-ownership) and made intentionally dramatic and riveting because Riefenstahl knew the importance of publicity and keeping her name in the public eye, and examples of her work provided for mass public attention.Much of what she did over her life was done with her own money and resources. She was an owner as well as a hired artist, and a very prosperous person thanks to her business acumen and abilities.She owned both the famous Trimph Of The Will (1934) documentary depiction of the 1934 Nuremburg Germany Nazi Party three day outdoor rally and gathering, and also owned the Olympia (1936) documentary about the World Olympic Games For 1936 held that year in Munich, Germany.After World War II and the defeat of Germany, she moved to insist on legal and financial control of both those important (landmark) documentary movies, and money she obtained due to her control of the two famous documentaries (and also of feature movies she acted and danced in done before 1934, both sound and silent movies of fame and great art and skill) was used to fund further artistic, photographic and underwater video projects she continued to work on through her ninth decade.Leni Riefenstahl (1903-2004) was a remarkable woman, and this documentary portrait of her is worth screening over and over again.She is a role model for all women, and all preforming and photographic/ cinematic artists of all ages, and in all countries.------------ Written by Tex Allen, SAG Actor. Visit WWW.IMDb.Com and choose "Tex Allen" "resume" for contact information, movie credits, and biographical information about Tex Allen. He has reviewed more than 42 movies posted on WWW.IMDb.Com (the world's largest movie information database, owned by Amazon.Com) as of January 2011. These include: 1. Alfie (1966) 29 July 2009 2. Alien (1979) 24 July 2009 3. All the Loving Couples (1969) 17 January 2011 4. All the President's Men (1976) 16 November 2010 5. American Graffiti (1973) 22 November 2010 6. Animal House (1978) 16 August 2009 7. Bullitt (1968) 23 July 2009 8. Captain Kidd (1945) 28 July 2009 9. Child Bride (1938) 24 September 2009 10. Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954) 22 September 2010 11. Destination Moon (1950) 17 January 2011 12. Detour (1945) 19 November 2010 13. Die Hard 2 (1990) 23 December 2010 14. The Wonderful, Horrible Life of Leni Riefenstahl (1993) 19 November 2010 15. Jack and the Beanstalk (1952) 26 July 2009 16. King Solomon's Mines (1950) 1 December 2010 17. Knute Rockne All American (1940) 2 November 2010 18. Claire's Knee (1970) 15 August 2009 19. Melody Ranch (1940) 10 November 2010 20. Morning Glory (1933) 19 November 2010 21. Mush and Milk (1933) 17 January 2011 22. New Moon (1940) 3 November 2010 23. Pinocchio (1940) 6 November 2010 24. R2PC: Road to Park City (2000) 19 November 2010 25. Salt (2010) 24 August 2010 26. Saturday Night and Sunday Morning (1960) 21 January 2011 27. Sunset Blvd. (1950) 1 December 2010 28. The Forgotten Village (1941) 21 January 2011 29. The Great Dictator (1940) 1 November 2010 30. The King's Speech (2010) 19 January 2011 31. The Last Emperor (1987) 20 January 2011 32. The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner (1962) 9 January 2011 33. The Man in the White Suit (1951) 5 August 2009 34. The Philadelphia Story (1940) 5 November 2010 35. The Social Network (2010) 19 January 2011 36. The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (1974) 1 August 2009 37. The Thomas Crown Affair (1999) 14 August 2009 38. The Witchmaker (1969) 21 July 2009 39. Thousands Cheer (1943) 3 December 2010 40. Till the Clouds Roll By (1946) 24 November 2010 41. Wake Up and Live (1937) 27 July 2009 42. Witness for the Prosecution (1957) 1 August 2009 ....Tex Allen's email address is [email protected] Tes Allen Movie Credits, Biography, and 2012 photos at WWW.IMDb.Me/TexAllen. See other Tex Allen written movie reviews....almost 100 titles.... at: "http://imdb.com/user/ur15279309/comments" .

One of my biggest complaints I have about biographies and biopics is that they are way too brief and tend to skip a lot of important material. Fortunately, this documentary about the controversial and long-lived film star and director, Leni Riefenstahl, is not short--clocking in at well over three hours! It certainly can't be seen as incomplete! The only question, then, is would the average person find it worth designating a huge block to time to just one documentary? Read on and see.The first thing I noticed was that at 90 years of age, Ms. Riefenstahl was amazingly lucid and full of life...and well-preserved. So, most of the film consisted of her talking about her life--and it was not just a lot of old film with narration. I also noticed that the film makers did a good job of assembling old silent film footage from her films--all with excellent prints and properly tinted. This didn't surprise me too much, as I've seen most of the existing films of Riefenstahl and knew that good copies existed--I am just glad that the film makers didn't use the usual scratchy film footage.Next came the most anticipated portion of the documentary--Riefenstahl's involvement with the Nazis and the filming of her brilliantly artistic "Triumph of the Will". At times, Riefenstahl was amazingly candid while at other times she talked as if she was only a detached outsider and not one of those responsible for the almost god-like image of Hitler. Interestingly, as times she got angry and insisted she was apolitical despite this tribute film. This was where it got VERY interesting! All these denials and minimizations contrasted with her brilliantly composed shots from "Triumph". Occasionally, her arguments made sense...while at others you marveled at how she seemed to delude herself and minimize her contributions.The film continues by discussing Riefenstahl's other pre-war and wartime films as well as her trial during the de-Nazification period. However, this only took her up to the middle of her life. What's interesting, then, is how she spent her final decades. Instead of either a glowing film career or spending the rest of her life in hiding, Riefenstahl did NOT sit still but spent this period living among tribes in Southern Sudan and scuba diving--getting certified at age 70 and continuing to diving at age 90. What happened after that is not covered, as the film ended at this point--yet this incredibly interesting and flawed woman continued to live for more than a decade longer! Overall, this was a sweeping film that managed to both confront Reifenstahl AND praise her--an odd combination to say the least. Though, of course, Reifenstahl was no ordinary person. Fascinating from start to finish.

She was first and foremost a visual artist. What comes across here is her being duped, along with so many Germans, by the aim of the Nazi party.Her two most famous documentaries were made under the delusion that the prevailing party had a worth mission. This documentary helps to explain this perspective from Riefenstahl's eyes.Her true awakening came toward the end of the war, when she saw Hitler not visiting bombed out cities to witness the devastation. The final blow was her visiting the concentration camps and seeing the horror there.This documentary shows many shots of Leni sharing things from her perspective, and denouncing the Nazi regime.It goes on to show her film work during the war, followed first by her African trip to Nubian tribes, then to her fascinating under water film work. In all cases, her interest comes across as artistic and apolitical.This is a most informative documentary on one of cinema's most controversial figures.